Control mechanism for elevators.



A. B. ROVER.

CONTROL MECHANISM FOR ELEVATORS. APPLICATION FILED nc.2 7{ 1912.

1,206,764. 'PatentedNov. 28,1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 1.

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7 A. B. ROVER, CONTROL MECHANISM FOR ELEVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 27. 9X2.

:i QQ6J64. Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. B. ROVER.

CONTROL MECHANISM FOR ELEVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 27, 1912.

% W W 4 W w A. B. ROVER.

CONTROL MECHANISM FOR ELEVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 27. 1912 1 06,764. Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4- ADOLPH BHROVER OF BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK.

CONTROL MECHANISM FOR ELEVATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patentedh ov. as, rare.

Application filed December 27, 1912. Serial No. 738,801.

To all to 7mm it may concern: v

Be it. known that I; AnoLrrr B. Bovine, or

Binghamton, in the county of. Broomepin. the State of New York, have inventednew' and useful Improvements inControlMechanism for Elevator-sol which thefollowing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,'is a full, clearpandexact descrip tion.

ments in elevators comprising a vertically movable car or lift and its operating and controlling mechanism and refers more par ticularly to an auxiliary power-driven controller for operating the main controller as distinguished from the mechanisms employed for operating or propelling the car. This apparatus is similarfin some respects to that set forth in my pending application #738,900, filed December 27, 1912, except that in that application the main controlling valve is operated by a water motor, while in this application, the main con trolling valve is operated by a hydraulic lift, the other dillcrences relating more particularly to the circulatory systems for the operating fluid for the auxiliary controllers according to the type of motor employed for operating the main controller.

The main object is to provide manually controlled 1)OWGl'-(l1l.-l1 means for operat ing the main controller, whereby it will be impossible to suddenly or abruptly stop or start the car, as in cases where the main controller is actuateddirectly by the operator.

(lt'her objects and uses relating to specific parts of the controlling mechanisms will be brought out in the following desoription. I

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevation of a portion of an elevator and my improved controlling mechanism,

the elevator being adapted to be operated? by hydraulic power-mechanism (not shown) except as to the main controlling valve, showing a plurality of, in this instance four, stories through which the elevator is adapted to pass. Figs. :2 "and 3 are respectively enlarged side and front elevations of the auXilor secondary hydraulic" controller, and 5 are still further enlarged lon gitudin'al vertical sectional views through the secondary controller taken respectively This inventionrelates to certaintimproveimity to the cylinder 5 enlargedivertical sectional view of the upper set of valves oi the secondary controller showing the valve operating mechanism in elevation. Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the lower set of valves of the :same controller showing also the operating mechanism therefor in eleva tion; FiguS is an enlarged horizontal sectional view through the secondary controller taken on line 88, Fig. 2. Fig. 9 is an enlarged horizontal detail section taken on line 9-9, Fig.2.

The elevator car as A' may be operated vertically through one or more floors B- by any suitable motive power (not shown) but in this instance hydraulic, con trolled by a main or primary controller valve l having an operating member such as a drum or disk 2 by which the valvemay be opened andclosed to admit and cut off the power fluich'as water, to and froin'the usual cylinders, not necessary to herein illustrate or describe.

in operating cable preferably endless, is wound around thedruin-2 and extended upwardly through the several floors and has its upper end passed around a super-posed sheave or drum ilso as to permit either side of the cable to move freely in either direction indel'iendently of the car to open and close thevalve' l which is usually located in the basement or cellar. I The auxiliary or secondary hydraulic controller comprises an upright cylinder -5 having a piston --G movable vertically therein and provided with an upwardly extending rod -7 to which is secured a laterally projecting cross arm -8 having direct connection with one side of the cable This cross arm -S- is provided with a split hub -9 slidably mounted upon a vertically disposed rod l0 which isarrang'ed at one side of but in close proxand is secured to the base and top of said cylinder by suitable fclamps11' as shownmore clearly in Figs. 8 and 9, aid rod being preferably angular in cross section-tohold the arm 8- against turning and extends upwardly above the cylinder a distance sowewhat greater than that through which the piston *G is'adapted to move.

The hub of the arm 8 is connected,

by a pair of vertical rods 12 to a sliding cross head -13- on the intermediate portion of the rod 10 between the clamping heads -11 for engaging and operating one or the other of a pair of sliding stops 14 and V14E also mounted upon ably forming a part of a disk -16, the latter being rigidly secured to one end of a relatively short transverse shaft -1' T- having its opposite end provided with an operating member consisting of a sprocket wheel -18-.

The shaft +17 is journaled in suitable bearings 19 projecting laterally from one side of split clamping rings which are rigidly secured to the central portion of the cylinder 5 as shown more clearly in Fig. 8.

The lower and upper ends of the cylinder are closed by end heads -21- and 22- which are connected externally to the cylinder by a series of in this instance four, vertical rods 23- passing through registering apertures in the clamping rings 20- for the purpose of drawing the end heads :lirmly into engagement with the corresponding ends of the cylinder, the upper head being provided with a suitable gland or stuifing box 24 through which the piston rod 7 is adapted to play.

Piston operating means for the secondary 00ntr0ZZer.The piston of the secondary controller is adapted to be operated by bydraulic pressure for operating the main or primary valve 1 through the medium of the cable 3 and its connection with the cross arm -8- and drum -2 and for this purpose the lower and upper ends of the cylinder --5- are provided with ports -25- and 26 located at the op posite ends of and some distance from the piston 6 when the latter is in its normal or intermediate position. The lower port -25' is connected to a T 27- having one branch connected by an upwardly extending'pipe -28 to the lower port of a two-port valve-case 29- having its upper port connected by an upwardly extending pipe 30 to one branch of a supply T -31 to which the power fluid is supplied from any available source by a supply pipe 32 as shown more clearly in Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6. The other branch of the T 27- leading from the lower port 25 is connected by an upwardly extending pipe 33- to the upper port of a two-port valve -34: having its other port connected by an upwardly extendlng pipe 35- to one branch of arelief T 36 having a relief pipe '37- leading therefrom! The other branch of the supply T 31 is connected by an upwardly extending pipe -3S to the upper port of a two-port valve-case 39- having its other or lower port connected by an upwardly extending pipe -r() to one of the branches of a T -41 leading to the upper port 26-, the other branch of the T j tl being connected by a downwardly extending pipe -i2- to the upper port of a two-port valve-case -i3 having its lower port connected by a relief pipe ar to the corresponding branch of the relief T 36. V

The valve casings -2 M, -39 and 43' and the valves therein'are all of the same construction and are arranged in sets in vertical alinement one above the other, the valves in the casings 29 and 84 constituting one set to elevate the piston 6 and cross arm 8 for operating the main valve -1 to cause the descent of the car'A-, while 011 the other hand the valves in the upper set of the casings 39- and as? control the entrance of the pressure fluid to the upper end of the cylinder -5 to depress the piston -6 and its cross arm S for the purpose of operating the main valve -1 to cause the car to ascend For this purpose each valve casing is provided with separate c0-aXial lower and upper chambers -i5 and -46 communicating through separate sets of ports -i7 and -4L8 with an inner valve chamber -.l9 in which is movable a pair of valves 5l and -51-, the latter being spaced a sufiicient distance apart to open both sets of ports 47 and 18 between them and are connected by a rod 52 extending through a suitable gland in the top of each valve case.

The valves of each set are adapted to be operated separately by suitable mechanisms in operative connection with the disk 16- off the shaft 17-- and are therefore controlled by the sprocket wheel 18 in a manner hereinafter described the lower valves 51 of each pair serving to open and close the lower ports 47 while the upper valves 51" merely serve to equalize the pressure between the valves and are always open above the adjacent ports l8. The lower end of each valve case is connected to a drainage pipe 37.

The connections between the several valves and disk 16 are adjusted so that when the actuating sprocket wheel '18- for the disk is in a no "mal predetermined position of rest, the lower valves ,51- in the valve casings 29' and 39 are closed, while the other lower valves in the casings %4 and are normally open, the connections for the upper set of valves serving to close the normally open mos-wee a valve and to open the normally closed valve when the disk 16- and its actuating member -18 are rockedin-oneidirection,

while the connections between said disk and the'o'ther set of valves. serve to open the corresponding normally closed valve and to closer the normally open va'lve of that-set when the disk 16'-: and its operating member "-1 8 are rocked: in thereverse di rectlon 'from their normal' position. For this purpose the 1 disk *16 is provided with a laterally projecting/stud or roller ate ring==20'-- of the cylinder 5. These cam levers are provided with angular slots, portionsof-which as 57 are substantially concentric with their pivots while other portions as 58 are substantially radialrelatively tosaid pivots, thesidesof A the radial slots forming abutments located in the path of movement of the stud or roller 58-, while the concentricportions ofsaid slots allow the stud to move therein without operating the corresponding. cam lever.

The lever 54 constitutes a part of the mechanism foroperatingtheupper set of valves and for this-purposeits"free end is pivotally connected'to the lower end of an upright rod '59- having its-upper end pivotally connected to a yoke -60' of another upright vertically movable'rod"'6l.' The lower end of the rod +61 is pivotally connected to a lever-62 which is "pivoted at 63 to a bracket 64l on the upper end of the valve case 39, the inner end of the lever being pivotally connected to the valve rod52- of said valve vcase -39. The upper end of the rod 61 is pivotally connected to one end of a lever -65+- which is pivoted intermediate its ends to the'plunger rod 52 in the valve case -'t3 and its other end is pivoted to a bracket -66 on the outer end of said valve case 48-'-.

The lower set of valves are operated by the'cam lever 54 and for this purpose the freeend of said cam lever is pivotally connected to the upper end of a vertically movable rod 67- having its lower end pivotallyconnected to a yoke 68 on another vertically movable rod 69--. The upper end of this latter rod 69 is pivotally connected to one'end of a lever 70' which is fulcrumed intermediate its ends upon a suitable bracket 7l on the upper end of the valve case 29- and its other end is pivotally connected to 'theupper end of the valve rod in such valve casein the manner shownin Fig. 7.

The lower end oftherod1-69+ is Y ivotal l yconnected to one end' of lever -2- whichispivoted intermediateits endsto the upper end of the valve rod-*52+ in -the case 34l,- the other endof said lever-'52'- beingp1vot= allyconnected to a: bracket 73' on the upper :end of suclr valve cases In F igs; 2, 3, 4 and 5 theseveral valves and their: operating mechanisms: are shown in'their normal positions, while in Fig. 6 the upper set of" valves and operating; mech anismwtherefor are: shown in positionufor admitting the pressure fluid I to the upper end of the cylinder for forcing the piston therein downwardly and thereby operating the/main valve '-'-1- to cause the ascent of tlIGlGlBVELtOI car A- while in Fig. 7 the lower set' of valves and their operating mechanism are shownin position for admitting. the pressure fluid to= thelowerend :of the cylinder for raising the piston .6 in the cylinder 5 and thereby reversing; the operation of the valve 1- to cause the descent of the car.

Any suitable means-may be employed for rocking the shaft -17 in reverse directions from its normal position and for-this purpose I have provided a cable *7 having its intermediate portion provided with a sprocket-chain-section 75- passed around the upper side of the sprocketwheel 18- and provided with suitable limiting stops 76 for limiting the rotary'movement-of said sprocket wheel, the ends of the cable being then passed around the under-sides of suitable sheaves +77 and then upwardly and attached to weighted menr hers 78 and -79 of a suitable compensating device or equalizer having a frame 80 in which the weighted mem bers7 8+- and 79 are guidedfor relativevertical -movement. Journaled upon these weighted members 78 and 79 are sheaves -81 and -82 around the undersides' ot which are passed the ends ofasuitable cable 83, said ends being extendedupwardly and attached to'the underside of the car. This compensating device is preferably located in the basement or cellar of thebuilding in which the ele vator isinstalled the cable 83- being extended therefrom upwardly to the top of the elevator shaft over sheaves or idlers S4 and their downwardly preferably into'the car where the'intermediate portion of'such cable is provided with a sprocket chain section -85 passing around the an derside of' a sprocket wheel 86-', said sprocket wheel having a suitable operating member" as a crank arm 87+ by which it' maybe rotated to operate the cable in reverse directions for transmitting, relative movement to the weighted members 78- and 79 and thereby operating thev sprocket wheel l8 in one direction or the other according to the direction of move ment of the crank arm 87. lhis operation of the sprocket wheel V18 from its normal position will cause a corresponding movement of the stud or roller 53- to operate one of the cam levers 54 or 54- according to the direction of move ment of the sprocket wheel, thereby shitting the corresponding set of valves to permit the flow of the pressure fluid to one or the other end of the cylinder for operating the piston therein anti causing a similar operation of the cable 3 and main controlling valve 1 so as to cause the ascent or descent of the elevator car by its power fluid according to the direction of movement of the main controlling valve 1- from its normal position. l or example, assuming that the operating member 2 of the main controller -1-'is in its normal or neutral position with the power operating fluid for the car out off and the car at rest and that it is desired to cause the descent of the car then by moving the lever 87- and its sprocket -86 in the direction indicated by arrow 05 Fig. '1, the opposite sides of the cable -83 will be moved in opposite directions indicated by arrow thereby moving the sliding members 78 and -Z9 in opposite directions a" ay from each other and causing a corresponding movement of the opposite sides of the cables 74- in opposite directions indicated by arrow -eto rotate the sprocket wheel lS- in the direction indicated by arrow m in Figs. 1 and 3. This operation of the sprocket wheel 18 will impart corresponding movement to the shaft l7 and disk -16, thereby forcing the stud -53 against the outer wall of the radial slot of the cam lever 54:- to shift said cam lever to the position shown in Fig. 7, thus opening the normally closed valve 51 in the valve case -29 by downward movement and closing the normally open valve 51 in the valve case 3-l by upward movement through the medium of the connectin rods 67 and 69- and levers +70- and 72. This operation of the valves in the casings -29- and 3 l allows the fluid under pressure to flow from the inlet -32 through the pipe -30, valve case '29 and pipe -28- and thence through the port 25 into the lower end of the cylinder, the valve -5l in the casing +43 being open and the valve-51 in the casing 39- being closed to prevent the passage of the pressure fluid therethrou ghi whereby the entire pres sure is concentrated in the lower end of the cylinder to elevate the piston -6- and its piston rod 7' to open the main controller valve -1 through the medium of the cable 3 which is connected to the arm '8- on the piston rod, this operation of the main controller serving to allow the car to descend. I

, By the reverse operation of the hand lever 87- and its sprocket 86 from its normal position; the movable members -78 and 79 and sprocket wheel -718 will be operated in a reverse direction, thereby 7 pressure fluid to the bottom of the cylinder,

the nip-er set of the valves in the casings 39 and l3 will remain in their normal position to out ofi the supply of the pressure fluid to the upper end-of the cylinder and to connect the upper end of the cylinder with the relief outlet 37, thus permitting the displacement of the water from the upper end of the cylinder as the piston rises.

In reverse manner when the upper set of valves in the casings 39- and l3 are adjusted from their normal positions shown in Fig. 4: to the positions shown in Fig. 6, the valves in the casings -'29 and 3l will be restored to their normal positions to cut off the supply of the pressure fluid to the bottom of the cylinder and establish communication between the bottom of the cylinder and relief outlet 87 through the pipes 3, valve casing -34land pipe to allow the displacement of the water from the bottom of the cylinder as the piston descends. V 7

Again when the cam levers 54 and 5eland upper and lower sets of valves are returned to their normal positions shown more clearly in Figs. 2, at and 5, the pressure fluid supply will be cut oil from bothends of the cylinders by the closing of the valves -51- in the casings 29 and 39- respectively, while the remaining valves -51 in the casings 3eand -et3 will be open, thereby establishing open communication between the lower and upper ends of the cylinders through the pipes -33, -42, 35 and +4-4 and valve casings ,3l and l3 so as to permit a free movement of the piston 6 in either direction under equal pressure at opposite ends thereof. a

Restoring means for secondary control- Zer.1 have now described the mode of operation of the secondary controller for operating the main controller to raise and lower the car and while it is evident that the valves of the secondary controller may be restored to their normal positions to cut off the waterpressure to either end of the cylinder to stop theaction of the secondary controller by simply restoring the operating member S7-.1n the car to its normal position, it is preferable to have this restoration of the valves and stoppage of the secondary controller automatic and dependent upon the 'movement of. the piston in either direction,

andlforvthis purpose I have provided the sliding crosshead l3 and sliding stopsends of the cylinder as shown more clearly in Fig. 2, .while the cross arm 8 to which the cable 3 is attached is normally positioned substantially midway of its extreme upward and downward movements with suflicient clearance above the cylinder to move the controller in reverse directions in raisingand lowering the car.

'The stops ."14l and -leiare normally positioned equi-jdistantafrom opposite ends of the cross head, this distance being substantially equal-to the necessary movement ofthe piston from its normal position for operating the main controller l in either direction.

It is now apparent that the degree of movement of the sliding stops l4 and 14: corresponds to the throw of the rock arm 16 from its normal position when operating the auxiliary controller valvesto admit the pressurefluid to one or the other end of the cylinder. For example, when one of the levers as 54 is operatedby the disk 16 to operate the upper set of valves to admit the pressure fluid to the upper'end ofthecylinderfor thepurpose of forcing the piston downward, the lower sliding stop 14 will be elevated or moved toward the cross head so that as the piston and cross head descend together to shift the controller 1- in one direction for elevating the elevator car, the downward movement of the cross head will engage and de press the lower sliding stop and thereby restore the upper sliding stop 1 l, arm -16- and lever -54 together with the upper set of valves connected thereto to their normal position and at the same time restoring the disk 16 and operating member 18 to their normal positions.

In reverse manner when the lower set of valves are operated to admit the pressure fluid to the lower end of the cylinder for elevating the piston, the slidin stops --1 l.-- and er will be depresses. by the cross arm -1 6- o that as the pistoii 6- and cross head -13- rise. the cross head will encounterand elevate the upper slidingstop l t to restore the lower set of valves to their normal position and thereby cut off the pressure fluid from the corresponding end of the cylinder.

"Restoring means for the main control- Zer.l have now described how the main controller is operated to raise and lower the car and will proceed to describe the means by which it may be restored to its normal position for stopping the car. This may be accomplished by reversing the operating member 87 in the car at the proper time soas to cause the car to stop at any predetermined point in its ascent or descent. :F or eX- ample, assuming that this operating member 87 has been turned in one directionto operatethe auxiliary controller and through said auxlliary controller to operate. the main controller to cause the car. to move'in one direction. Thenit follows that if the operating member 87 is reversed so :as to cause the reverse action of the auxiliary controller, the valve of the main controller will be operated in the reverse direction until brought to its neutral. position for cutting oil the fluid supply which operates the car,

at which time the controllingmeinber -87- must be restoredbyhand to its neutral position to efiect the-cutting off of the supply of the motive fluid to the auxiliary controller and thereby prevent its further operation beyond its neutral position.

The operation of my invention will now be readilyunderstood upon referenceto the foregoing description and the accompanydrawing, and it will be apparentthat various changes maybemade in the detail construction ofthe auxiliary controller and its operating means and also intheconnections of the cables between the car and differential without departing from the spirit of my invention.

l l hat'l claim-is 1. In an elevator controlling mechanism for hydraulic elevators, in combination with a main valve, operating means therefor, comprising a cylinder having ports in 0pposite ends thereof, a supply pipe connected to both ports, a relief pipe connected to the same ports, normally open relief valves in the relief ipe, normally closed valves in the supply pipe, and voluntarily operated means for closing one of the relief valves and for simultaneously opening one of the closed supply valves independently of the other valves.

2. A controlling mechanism for elevators comprising a main controller, an operating cable therefor, a cylinder, a piston movable in the cylinder, means actuated by the piston for operating the cable, a supply pipe and. rel-lei? pipe both eennected to one end of the cylinder and provided respectively with a normally closed valve'and a normally open valve, and means, operable at Will, for opening the normally closed valve and simultaneously closing the normally open valve.

3. A controlling mechanism for elevators comprising a main controller, an operating cable therefor, a cylinder, a piston movable in the cylinder, means actuated by the piston for operating the cable, a supply pipe and a relief pipe both connected to one end of the cylinder and provided respectively with a normally closed valve and a normally open valve, a separate cable operable at Will,

and additional means actuated by the lastnamed cable for operating said valves simultaneously.

4:. A controlling mechanism for hydraulic elevators comprising a main valve, a cable for operating said valve, and operating means for the cable comprising a cylinder, having ports in its opposite ends, conduits for the pressure fluid leading to said ports and having separate sets of valves therein, and means movable in one direction for operating one set of valves and in a reverse direction for operating the other set.

5. A controlling mechanism for hydraulic elevators comprising a main valve, a cable for operating said valve, and operating means for the cable comprising a cylinder, a normally closed supply valve and a normally open relief valve both connected to one end of the cylinder and constituting one set, a separate normally closed supply valve and a normally open relief valve connected to the other end of the cylinder and constituting another set, and voluntarily operated means for operating one set of valves independently of the other set.

6. In a hydraulic elevator system, the combination With a main valve for controlling the operation of the car, of an auxiliary hydraulic controller, means actuated by Copies of this patent may be obtained for a moving part of the auxiliary controllerfor operating the mam valve, separate sets of valves controlling the pressure fluid to the vhydraulic controller to cause its moving part to be operated in reverse directions, means for shifting either set of valves independently of the other set, and means actuated by said moving part for restoring the shifted set of valves to normal position inde- 3=endently of the main valve. 7

7. In a hydraulic elevator system, the combination With a main valve for controllin the o eration of the elevator of an auxiliary hydraulic controller, means actuatedby a moving part of the auxiliary con- 7 of valves controlling the pressure fluid to Y the auxiliary controller so as to cause the movable part to be shifted first in one direction and then in the opposite direction, means operable at will for shifting either set of valves independently of the other set, and a restoring device for the lastnamed means actuated by said moving part While the main valveis still open.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 12th day of December, 1912.

ADOLPH B. ROVER. Witnesses:

H. E. OHAsE, 'EVA E. GREENLEAF.

Washington, D G. 

